Combined shovel and ash-sifter.



K. W. THOMPSON. COMBINED SHOVEL AND ASH SIFTER.

APPLIOATION FILED. 00124", 1911.

Patented Nov. 26, 1912.

KARL W. THOMPSON, 0F MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

COMBINED sHovnL AND AsH-sIr'rEa.

- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented ev. 2c, 1912.

Application filed October 24, 1911. Serial No. 656,543.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, IiARL W. THOMPSON, of Minneapolis, Hennepin county, Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Combined Shovels and Ash-Sifters, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my inventionis to provide a shovel by means of which ashes can be gathered up in the ash pit of the furnace and sifted, without removing the shovel from the pit except for the purpose of dumping the accumulated ashes therein, thereby avoiding all the dust and dirt usually incident to the sifting of ashes after they are removed from the furnace.

A further object is to provide a sifter oi strong, durable construction and one which will be comparatively inexpensive to manufacture.

My invention consists generally in various constructions and combinations, all as hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, Figure 1 is a sectional view of a shovel and sifter embodying my invention, Fig. 2 is a plan vlew of the same, Fig. 8 is a rear view, showing the construction of the end of the shovel.

In the drawing, 2 represents the side walls of the shovel, tapering gradually from thelr rear to their forward ends and 3 is the end wall, which may be formed integrally with the side walls of the shovel or separately and secured thereto, if desired. These walls are preferably of sheet metal of suitable gage. A. casting or spider 1 is secured by rivets 5 to the rear wall 3 and has a socket therein adapted to receive a suitable handle 7. This casting is preferably provided with depending lugs or ears 8 which extend below the side walls of the shovel for the purpose of elevating the rear portion thereof and forming shoes for convenience in sliding the shovel back and forth on the bottom of the ash pit. These shoes also have the effect of tilting the nose of the shovel downwardly so that it will slide in under the accumulation of ashes.

Between the side walls I arrange a sheet metal plate having an imperforate forward portion 9 provided with side lips 10 that are outwardly and downwardly turned over the upper edges of the side walls and secured thereto by rivets 11, The forward edge 12 of said plate is downwardly and backwardly turned to stiffen and strengthen the nose of the shovel. This plate serves to hold the forward portions of the side walls in parallel alinement with one another and it preferably has upwardly turned edges 13 which bear on the inner surfaces of the side walls. A short distance back from the nose of the shovel the plate 9 is upwardly turned and provided with a. series of perforations 14 and the upwardly turned edges of the perforated portion are secured to the side walls by rivets 15, preferably at points intermediate to the upper and lower edges of said slde walls, so that an inclined, perforated surface will be provided, extending from the imperforate plate 9 backwardly to the rear wall of the shovel. Beneath the impeforate plate 9 is an imperfora-te plate 16, hinged at 17 to a rod 18 that extends across the shovel and has its ends mounted in the lower portion of the casting 4c. This plate 'is' adapted to swing back and forth on the rod 18, and between said plate and the perforated plate above a chamber 19 is formed that is adapted to receive the ashes sifted through the perforations and separate them from the unburned pieces of coal. This chamber is-of sufficient capacity to contain the ashes that may be gathered up by the shovel and which may fall through the perforations 14 when the shovel is oscillated. The plate 16 is normally in a closed position and is locked by suitable means, such as a strap 20 that is mounted on the plate 16 and has a loop portion 21 that passes over the handle 7 and secured against premature movement by a locking device 22. This locking device is within convenient reach of the operator of the shovel and when the chamber 19 has been filled with ashes and it is desired to dump them the shovel is removed from the pit and upon tripping the locking device 22 the weight of the ashes will cause the plate 16 to drop down to the position indicated by dotted lines, thereby allowing the discharge of the ashes from the chamber 19. The coal which has accumulated on the perforate plate may be thrown into the furnace again or deposited in a suitable receptacle.

The shovel may be made in various sizes, according to the capacity desired, and in various ways the details of construction may be modified and still be Within the scope of my invention.

I claim as my invention 1. A combined shovel and sifter comprising an end wall, a casting mounted thereon having a socket and a handle therefor, said casting depending below said end wall, side walls projecting forwardly from said end wall, a perforated plate interposed between said side walls and secured thereto, an imperforate plate disposed beneath said perforate plate and spaced therefrom and forming an ash receiving chamber, a rod passing through the depending portion of said casting and on which rod said imperforate plate is hinged, and means for locking said imperforate plate against premature movement.

2. A combined shovel and sifter comprising side and end walls, a perforate plate disposed between said side walls midway, substantially, between their upper and lower edges and secured thereto, a hinged imper forate plate disposed beneath said perforate plate and spaced therefrom to form an ash receiving chamber, a handle mounted on said end wall, a strap secured to said imperforate plate and having a loop portion inclosing said handle and adapted to swing upwardly when said imperforate plate moves to its dumping position, and means for looking said strap on said handle.

3. A combined shovel and sifter comprising side and end walls, a plate having an imperforate forward portion secured to the lower forward edges of said side walls and a perforate rear portion upwardly inclined and secured to the longitudinal middle portion of said side walls, an imperforate plate pivotally connected with said rear wall and extending forwardly beneath said perforate plate and spaced therefrom to form an ash receiving chamber, a handle mounted on said end wall, a locking device on said handle near said end wall, and meansconnected with said imperforate plate and engaged by walls and secured thereto, the rear portions of said plate being forwardly and downwardly inclined and secured to said side walls and provided with a series of perforations and a pivoted, imperforate plate disposed beneath the rear portion of saidfirst named plate and spaced therefrom to form an ash receiving chamber and having a suitable looking means.

5. A combined shovel and sifter compris ing side and end walls and a handle therefor, a perforate plate interposed between said side walls and having its edges secured V side walls and secured thereto, said plate; having a series of perforations 1n the rear I of said imperforate forward portion and being upwardly inclined and secured to the longitudinal middle portions of said side walls, an imperforate plate pivotally connected to said end wall and extending beneath the perforate portion of said first named plate and terminating near the rear of said imperforate portion, means for locking said imperforate plate against premature tilting, and a handle mounted on said end wall. a

7. A combined shovel and sifter comprising side and end walls, a casting mounted on said end wall and having lugs depending below said side walls and forming supporting shoes, a handle mounted on said casting,

an imperforate plate hinged on said casting, means for locking said imperforate plate against premature tilting, a plate disposed between said side walls and secured thereto and inclined forwardly and having a forward portion bridging the space between the forward portions of said side walls, the rear portion of said second named plate being perforate and spaced from said imperforate plate to form and ash receiving chamber.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 20 day of October, 1911.

KARL W. THOMPSON. Witnesses:

GENEVIEVE E. SoRENsEN, EDWARD A. PAUL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

